Serbian
Prime Minister Alexander Vucic was attacked at the commemoration of the
Srebrenica tragedy on Saturday, when he and the Serbian delegation had
stones and other objects thrown at them by an angry crowd.

A
number of individuals from the crowd that gathered at Potocari attacked
the security of the Serbian delegation in an attempt to reach Vucic,
leading to a physical altercation.
According to reports, Prime Minister Vucic was hurt when a stone hit
him in the face breaking his glasses before being leaving the ceremony,
held at the Potocari Memorial Center at Srebrenica.
"The Prime Minister was hit in the face by a stone, he is injured, but it's not serious," a member of the Serbian delegation told the Serbian Blic newspaper.
"They were throwing stones, shoes, whatever they came with."
Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz reported that Bosnian police arrested a
member of the group which attacked Vucic and the Serbian delegation
as they passed by a crowd of people at the Potocari Memorial Center,
where the remains of the victims of Srebrenica are buried.
The
ceremony at Srebrenica was also attended by the presidents of Croatia,
Slovenia and Montenegro, the prime ministers of Albania and Turkey and
former US President Bill Clinton, who commended Vucic and the President
of Croatia Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic for coming to the ceremony. "As a
friend of Bosnia I would like to thank the premier of Serbia for showing
the courage to come here today," said Clinton.
After he arrived at the memorial ceremony, Vucic wrote a message
in the book of condolences, and was greeted by the organization 'Mothers
of Srebrenica.'
"Thank you for coming," said president of the organization Hatidza
Mehmedovic to Vucic, who pinned the Flower of Srebrenica, a symbol
of remembrance, on the lapel of the Prime Minister's jacket.
Before arriving in Srebrenica Vucic had issued a statement
which he condemned the "terrible crime" which happened at Srebrenica,
and explained his reasons for attending the memorial, which marks 20
years since the tragedy in 1995.
"Twenty years have passed since the terrible crime that happened
at Srebrenica. There are no words which can express the sorrow and
sadness for those who suffered, and the anger and bitterness
towards those who committed that monstrous crime. Serbia, clearly
and unequivocally, condemns that terrible crime, abhors those who took
part in it and will continue to bring them to justice."
"It is my responsibility to bow before the victims, an act with which we can move towards the future," said Vucic.
On Friday, Russia called on the UN to bring the perpetrators of the Srebrenica massacre to justice.

WASHINGTON
(Sputnik) — A Greek exit from the Eurozone, or Grexit, could set
off destabilizing consequences for Europe, especially in its southern,
Mediterranean tier because of Athens’ strategic position, experts told
Sputnik.
“Currently, it is safe to argue that Greece’s stability is probably
as important to the United States and the European Union (EU) as [it
was] in the Cold War years,” International Telematic University
Professor of International Relations and European Integration Kyriakos
Kouveliotis told Sputnik.
Greece’s continuing crucial role is based on three “very important” factors, Kouveliotis said.
The first, he said, was the geopolitical location of the country
in the crossroads between East and West, North and South, Europe and
Asia and between Europe and Africa.

The
second was the strategic role Greece plays to the current turmoil
in southeastern Mediterranean, while the third was the fact that Greece
is an active member in all major international organizations.
Greece’s exit from the euro could unleash “a nightmare scenario,” the professor warned.
The destabilization of the country will lead first to a humanitarian
crisis and then to political turmoil and hostile attitudes toward the EU
and the United States, he continued.
“This will be an issue for the United States and it will negatively
affect their free trade talks with the EU,” the analyst said.
University of Scranton Professor of Economics and Finance Iordanis
Petsas agreed that if the crisis was allowed to get out of hand, far
graver consequences could follow.

“This week’s final negotiations between Greece
and the rest of the EU countries will point toward an agreement or the
beginning of collapse of EMU [European Monetary Union] or even the
beginning of the EU collapse,” Petsas warned.

“Greece
is a small country when it comes to international trade. Therefore, the
trade impact of a possible Grexit on the rest of the world is very
small. However, the EU will be more fragile,” the economist cautioned.
Currently, Greece remains in a very difficult position, Petsas noted.
Its banks are closed and capital controls are in place. “There is big
uncertainty as to when the bank holiday will end,” he said.
A major US concern is that a sovereign default by Greece or other
Eurozone member or the failure of a major European financial institution
could reverberate throughout the global economy in much the same way
as the US sub-prime crisis did in 2008, the economist warned.
“I hope that there is sufficient determination among the European
governments to follow the right policies and maintain a single currency
at least for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Professor
Kouveliotis said US policymakers saw Greece in the context
of continuing instability across the neighboring Middle East.
Consequently, “I think that [US] interest lie mainly on the political domain and not on the economic one,” he remarked.
Kouveliotis emphasized that the main implications for the Western
world from continued crisis in Greece would be more political and less
economic.

“We should also take into consideration that
there is currently a huge illegal immigration stream from the east
to the Aegean Sea and the Greek islands,” he said. “This poses a
potential security threat for the United States and it is the main
reason why they are against Grexit from the Eurozone.”

Leaders from all 28 nations in the European Union will discuss the Greek crisis at a summit meeting in Brussels on Sunday.

Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday upped the ante during a stormy
session of the SYRIZA party's Parliamentary group, warning MPs that he
will "not accept a loss of the Parliamentary ruling majority" during the
vote concerning Greece's proposal to the lenders, even if the motion is
passed.
"Let each of you take the measure of yourself and of your
history," he told MPs at the close of the session, according to
sources.
Earlier, a conference call to discuss Greece's request
for financial aid from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the
accompanying reform proposals, between the heads of the three
institutions asked to assess the Greek request, ended after the three
sides agreed on a joint position.
The meeting was between European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, International Monetary Fund
(IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank
President Mario Draghi and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
According
to a European Commission spokesperson, the common position of the three
institutions was now being written up and will be sent to the
Eurogroup.ANA MPA

The Court of Arbitration for
Sport (CAS) in Lausanne on Friday announced it has handed Albania a 3-0
victory in the abandoned qualifier played in October.
Source: B92Friday, July 10, 2015 | 13:10

(Starsportphoto, file)

The European Championship qualifier was played between
Serbia and Albania in Belgrade, and was abandoned after a map of
"Greater Albania" was flown over the pitch, prompting brawls between the
players and a fan invasion of the pitch.
The provocative map showed Albania's borders expanded to
include parts of four neighboring countries: Serbia, Macedonia,
Montenegro, and Greece.

CAS has also docked Serbia three
points, ordered the team to play the next two games in front of an empty
stadium, and pay a fine of EUR 100,000.

The Lausanne court
thus rejected Serbia's appeal, and accepted that filed by Albania,
"because it found no evidence that Albanians refused to resume the
match," while its considers the interruption to have occurred "due to
the bad organization of the game and the violent invasion of the pitch
of fans who attacked the guests."

The Albanian team was fined
EUR 100,000 "for responsibility for the drone released during the game
that carried a flag with nationalist and patriotic symbols."

Reacting to the news on Friday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama - whose brother the authorities in Belgrade initially suspected of being behind the drone incident - posted on Twitter, "Supeeeer! This is European justice! Three points for red-and-blacks in Belgrade!!!"

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic responded with two tweets in
which he decried "European justice turning into global injustice for the
umpteenth time," and also said that "those who caused the incident have
been rewarded, while the victim has been punished."

"Lausanne
Court decision is an embarrassment for justice, judiciary and an insult
to all normal people," according to Vucic's tweet.

The CAS
decision should now be registered by UEFA, whose disciplinary commission
in October awarded Serbia a 3-0 victory in the canceled qualifier,
docking the team at the same time three points.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

The House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress has unanimously adopted a resolution on Srebrenica.
Source: Dnevni avazThursday, July 9, 2015 | 11:38

(Tanjug, file)

It defines the crime committed in July 1995 as
"genocide," the Sarajevo-based daily Dnevni Avaz is reporting, and
adding that the document "condemns all statements that challenge that
term."
The resolution "stresses that it is important to
recognize the signs of genocide in future conflicts and prevent such
crimes, especially given the conflicts in the Central African Republic,
Burundi and Syria."

The resolution was proposed by Republican
Congressman Christopher Smith, who in his speech "stressed that the
international community is almost unanimous when what it calls what
happened in Srebrenica a genocide."

The paper quoted him as
saying that "20 years ago by Bosnian Serb soldiers systematically killed
more than 8,000 people in an area that was designated a UN safe haven."

"These brutal murders were not committed in combat, but
against unarmed and defenseless people whom Dutch peacekeepers assured
they would be safe if they surrendered," Smith said.

He said
that UN troops were "under obligation according to UN Security Council
Resolution 836 to protect civilians, even by use of force," but that
"when the moment came, they offered very little resistance because
military commanders had protection of UN troops and not civilians as
their primary goal."

"Everyone got scared. It is easy to die in
such an operation. To my knowledge, they did not send us to Srebrenica
to protect the enclave, but as some kind of observers," Smith quoted a
UN peacekeeper.

He expressed disappointment with such developments.

"These peacekeepers became observers of genocide, and soon they were
more than that. Specifically, on July 13 Dutch peacekeepers handed over
to the Serbs Bosnian Muslims who sought protection from them. They
watched the men being separated from women and children, and in Bosnia,
this process was already known as a sure sign of danger of death. No one
ever saw or heard of these men again," said Smith, according to the
article.

* Financial sector and manufacturing boost growth (Reuters) - Albania's economy grew 2.82
percent in the first quarter of 2015 from the same period a year
before, shrugging off the impact of February floods as activity
in the financial and insurance sector surged.

The Institute of Statistics also said on Thursday that gross
domestic product had grown 0.32 percent in the first quarter of
2015 from the last three months of 2014.

That was in line with official forecasts for growth in 2015
despite damage to agriculture from flooding in the south of the
Adriatic Sea state in February.

Last week, Albania and the International Monetary Fund cut
their growth forecast to 2.7 percent from 3 percent for 2015,
mainly because of lower prices in world markets for Albania's
exports of minerals and oil.

The central bank expects the economy to expand more in 2015
than 2014's 1.89 percent although that could change if the
crisis in neighbouring Greece, home to more than 600,000
Albanian migrant workers, worsens.

The financial and insurance sector led growth in the first
quarter, expanding by 13 percent compared to the same period
last year, with activity in the manufacturing, energy and water
industries 7.64 percent higher.

In a letter to Vladimir
Putin, Tomislav Nikolic stated that the Balkans will be on the brink of
war if a British resolution on Srebrenica was adopted in the UN.
Source: Beta, PolitikaThursday, July 9, 2015 | 09:23

(Beta, file)

In addition, the Serbian president said that he saw the
document as a political instrument whose final outcome would be to
weaken Serbia's position and threaten the region.
The Belgrade-based daily Politika said it saw the letter
that was sent to the Russian leader "during the time of the preparation
of the British resolution." The resolution was on Wednesday vetoed by Russia at the UN Security Council.

Asking Putin to use his authority to prevent the text of the resolution
prepared by Great Britain "from arriving to the UN Security Council,"
Nikolic, according to the daily, wrote that if with this resolution only
one, the Serb people, were to be condemned for nothing less than
genocide of global proportions - "then the efforts of Serbia, the
Serbian government and his own to live as good neighbors will be
futile."

In this case, "the Balkans will be on the brink of a new war," he said.

The Serbian president also pointed out that the resolution "is seen as a
political instrument, whose final outcome will be the weakening of the
position of Serbia, endangering the stability of the region that was
created with great effort and commitment of all of us."

It is a
great injustice, and false and irresponsible, wrote Nikolic, to reduce
the horrors of genocide to the war crime committed in Srebrenica.

The president reminded that in Srebrenica and its vicinity Bosnian
Muslim forces and jihadists who joined them killed in cold blood
thousands of Serb children, women and elderly, razing 39 villages to the
ground.

"No one has been held responsible for it, and in this
region alone almost 5,000 Serb civilians have been killed. How, then,
can justice be sought for them, will will submit draft resolutions to
the UN Security Council for them. 500,000 Serbs have been driven out of
their ancestral homes from the territories of Croatia and Kosovo. Who
will propose a UN Security Council resolution for them" - asked the
Serbian president in his letter to the Russian counterpart.

Nikolic also asked Putin to stand against those moves "focused on
opening old wounds, and not on creating the basis for a better future
for the Balkans and true reconciliation of nations that made up the
former Yugoslavia."

"We all need the timely support of the wise
and the powerful so that we can embark on an era of peace and
development," concluded the letter, as cited by the Politika daily.

The arguments being used by the Greek government to secure debt
relief can be traced back to a little-reported speech made to the
students of Harvard University on 5 June 1947.
It was there that George Marshall, the then US secretary of state,
floated the idea of a European programme of economic reconstruction. The
Americans saw that Europe
was on the brink of economic collapse. Industrial capacity had been
wiped out. Trade had ceased. People were going hungry and, in Marshall’s
view, at risk of turning to communism.
Despite being the turning point for Europe’s economies after the second world war, Marshall’s speech
was not considered as especially important at the time. The State
Department did not bother to tell anybody in Europe about what he was
about to say and the British embassy in Washington did not think it
worth the cost to send a cable with an advance copy of the speech to
London.

But the speech was covered by the BBC’s Washington correspondent and,
by luck, his report was heard by the then UK foreign secretary, Ernest
Bevin, in a wireless set he kept by his bedside. Bevin seized on the
opportunity provided by the Americans, who said the Europeans had to
organise their own plan for disbursing the money. “It was like a life
line to sinking men,” he said later. “It seemed to bring hope where
there was none.”
Lessons had been learned from the mistakes made after the first world
war. Then, the victorious Allied powers had imposed a punitive peace on
Germany, demanding heavy reparations that bred resentment.
Marshall tried a different approach. Over four years, the US pumped
$13bn into Europe (the equivalent of more than $150bn today) in the hope
that it would rebuild economic capacity, enable countries to trade with
each other, and rebuff the threat from Stalin’s Soviet Union. It was
not an entirely selfless act. The US at the time accounted for 50% of
the world’s output, and needed to find markets for its exports. The lack
of demand in countries such as France, Italy and Germany in 1947 meant
this was not possible.

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Britain
was the single biggest beneficiary of Marshall aid, receiving more than
a quarter of the total. Germany took $1.4bn (11% of the total), four
times as much as Greece received.
Hans Werner-Sinn, the president of the IFO thinktank in Munich, noted
three years ago that Marshall aid accounted for 4% of German GDP at the
time, while Greece had, even then, received economic assistance worth
200% of its national output.
This, though, overlooks two points. The first is Greek resentment at
the German occupation during the second world war. As Bevin’s biographer
Alan Bullock put it: “Greece was a poor country at the best of times
and her economy had been wrecked by the sequence of invasion,
occupation, resistance, reprisals and civil war. Eight per cent of the
population of seven million had been killed, 10 times the death rate for
the UK during the war. The Germans stripped the country of livestock
and everything else that could be moved; railways, roads, bridges,
ports, had been destroyed.”

European leaders told Greece it has five days to agree a reform plan, or face leaving the single currency

Read more

The second is that direct transfers of money were only part
of the help Germany received through the Marshall plan. Far more
important than the $1.4bn was the granting of debt relief at the London
conference of 1953.
Writing in the Economist magazine in 2012, Albrecht Ritschl, a
professor of economic history at LSE, said: “The Marshall plan had an
outer shell, the European recovery programme, and an inner core, the
economic reconstruction of Europe on the basis of debt forgiveness to
and trade integration with Germany. The effects of its implementation
were huge. While western Europe in the 1950s struggled with debt/GDP
ratios close to 200%, the new West German state enjoyed debt/GDP ratios
of less than 20%. This and its forced re-entry into Europe’s markets was
Germany’s true benefit from the Marshall plan.”
In the days to come, the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, will
be arguing that was good for Germany in 1953 would be good for Greece in
2015.

German Chancellor Angela Markel has arrived in Albania on a two-day
visit, which includes Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The countries'
desire to join the European Union has been complicated by the ongoing
Greek crisis.

Merkel is the second German chancellor since 1999 to have visited Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe.
Albania, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have long been
campaigning to join the European Union,
but the three countries' mutual rivalries have complicated matters, as
has the current crisis in Greece. In the wake of the debt dispute with
Athens, EU officials are expected to lay out tougher conditions to
accept countries with troubled economies.The Greek debt crisis
has also affected the economies of the poor states in the Balkans,
which are economically dependent on Athens. The potential impact of the
crisis is likely to be on Merkel's agenda during her meetings with the
leaders of the three nations. Trade, energy and bilateral and EU
relations will also be discussed.
In her weekly video address on Saturday, Merkel, however, said the Balkans states had a good chance of joining the EU.

The German chancellor's schedule in the Balkans

"In all the difficulties that we currently have, there has been
progress," she said, adding that the prospects for EU membership would
also help these countries resolve their inter-regional disputes.
Merkel is expected to arrive in the Serbian capital Belgrade on
Wednesday evening where the Serbian president, Aleksandr Vucic, is to
receive her, the statement from Berlin said. She would also talk to
civil society representatives at a breakfast meeting on Thursday.
Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be Merkel's last stop in the
Balkans visit, where she will hold crucial talks with President Denis
Zvizdic and visit an exhibition on the Srebrenica massacre of 1995.
shs/kms (AP, dpa, Reuters)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has assured Albania
and Western Balkan countries there is no artificial delay in their EU
entry prospects but says they should deepen reforms to achieve the
required standards.

Merkel on Wednesday started a two-day tour of Albania, Serbia and Bosnia focusing on their EU integration progress as well as economic and energy issues.

Albania, which was granted candidate status last year, must fulfill five
categories regarding its public administration and justice system ahead
of launching full membership talks.

Earlier this week the German government, one of the biggest donors to
post-communist Albania, gave 107.5 million euros ($119.3 million) to
promote the country's energy and water supply sectors.

The chancellor continues her trip to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, later Wednesday and to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday.

A question on Greece's membership in the Eurozone has become the main concern for Europeans nowadays.

On July 8, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has taken to the European Parliament stage in Strasbourg that he has "very specific" proposals on Thursday to solve the country's debt issue.
"All of the political forces in Greece, the leaders, came around the
same table, and we came up with a framework on the basis of which
tomorrow we are going to, once again, to come up with some very specific
proposals for a fair and sustainable solution which will bring
about fair reforms as well," Tsipras said in a statement.
Tsipras was met with applause after his speech in which he praised
the courage of the Greek people and pledged to continue to negotiate
with Europe.
But it's still unclear what future awaits the Eurozone.

Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras assured the European Parliament on
Wednesday that he would deliver sweeping reform proposals this week to
secure a bailout funding deal that can keep Greece in the euro zone.
Greeted
with cheers to a packed chamber in Strasbourg, from fellow leftists but
also from anti-EU members on the far-right, the 40-year-old premier
said he was determined to fix years of bad government as well as reverse
the increasing inequalities caused by five years of creditor-imposed
austerity.
"Let me assure the house that, quite apart from the
crisis, we will continue with our reform undertakings," Tsipras said
after flying in from Brussels where euro zone leaders handed him a final
deadline of Sunday to agree to terms for a new bailout.
"We
demand an agreement with our neighbours," he said. "But one which gives
us a sign that we are on a long-lasting basis exiting from the crisis,
which will demonstrate that there's light at the end of the tunnel ...
Our prime objective must be to combat unemployment and to encourage
entrepreneurship."
What follows is a report from Athens News Agency on Tsipras' address.I
am here, a few days only after the referendum in Greece, a few days
after their mandate to intensify our efforts towards a viable solution,
said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in his address on Wednesday to
the European parliament.“The Greek people's decision
does not mean rift with Europe but the return to the European values. I
assume full responsibility for what happened in the last five months and
I want to reassure you that the Greeks in the last five years have done
a tremendous effort that has worn them out. We want an agreement that
will foresee credible reforms and with the least possible recessionary
measures with a growth agenda. Our proposal also foresees the debt
restructuring issue. We should not consider it a taboo. I want to be
clear”, said Tsipras“The proposals for the debt
restructuring do not want to burden the European citizens. The money
from the loans never came to the Greek citizens but went for the banks'
rescue,” the Greek premier added.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has taken to the European Parliament stage in Strasbourg to say he has been given a mandate from his people to "redouble our efforts to get a socially just and economically sustainable solution to the Greek problem without repeating the mistakes of the past, which condemned the Greek economy."

Tsipras was met with applause after his speech in which he praised the courage of the Greek people and pledged to continue to negotiate with Europe.

"The courageous response by the Greek people at a time when there was such pressures with the banks closing, with the campaigns in the media terrorising them into feeling that a No means an end to talks with Europe and end to negotiations with Europe," said Tsipras.

"This is not a decision of breaking off negotiations with Europe, it’s one of going back. It’s a return to the informing principles, the founding principles of European unification."

But stealing the show was Britain’s MEP Nigel Farage whose red-faced rhetoric divided the audience.

"What we’re seeing in this chamber this morning and indeed across the whole of Europe is irreconcilable cultural differences between Greece and Germany, a split between the north and south of Europe. The European project is actually beginning to die."

"The continent is divined from north to south, there is a new Berlin Wall — and it’s called the Euro."

Adressing Alexis Tsipras directly, Nigel Farage said Greece "should never have joined the Euro. The big banks, forced you in and when the bailout began – they bailed out the French, German and Italian banks. They haven’t helped you at all."

"Sir, you cannot have your cake and eat – if they give you more, they have to give other EU countries more. You should lead the Greek people out of the Eurozone with your head held high. You will recover."

Farage sat down to a rousing applause from some members of the European Parliament.

"The Greek government has stood up for Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, more than any other government has ever done."

Also lavishing Tsipras with praise was Matteo Salvinini, Italian Nationalist, who referred to Europe as a "cage".

"The ceiling is falling in. Thank you, Mr Tsipras and the Greek citizens, who with such guts wanted to break out of this cage. I don’t want to leave my children in the hands of people who do not respect democracy."

But not impressed with the proceedings was Polish Center Right MEP Jan Olbrycht, who said inviting a Prime Minister to discuss a crisis at the European Parliament sets "a certain precedent."

"It is a political mistake to organize it this way."

British Conservative MEP Ashley Fox used the political setting to address Tsipras directly, accusing him of knowing that Greece has to lose the euro "but you don’t want to admit it".

"You should organize an orderly exit from the euro."

Bursting with resentment for the euro, Czech Eurosceptic, Petr Mach told Tsipras: "I bow to you; you have let the people make a democratic decision. Other politicians should allow their citizens to decide. Put the question to the Germans, to the Slovaks, to the Finns.

"You will become competitive again, your economy will be thriving and your people will find more work."

But suggesting Tsipras has rejected his olive branch, French Center Right Francoise Grosstete said:

"Game over Mr Tsipras. You didn’t want to trust Junker who held out Europe’s hand. There is no room for ideology at the table."

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

By Jim GaramoneDoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, July 6, 2015 – President Barack Obama discussed the
strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant with civilian and military leaders of his national security
team at the Pentagon today.

The president spoke to the press following the meeting. He
stressed that the strategy will take time to work, and that there is no
substitute to working through indigenous forces in the region.
The strategy harnesses all elements of American power including
military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic development, “and perhaps
most importantly the power of our values,” Obama said.Long-Term Campaign
The strategy envisions a long-term campaign, he said.
“ISIL is opportunistic, and it is nimble,” the president said. “In many
places in Syria and Iraq, including urban areas, it’s dug in among
innocent civilian populations. It will take time to root them out.”
American and coalition partners will help out with training and air
support, but it must be local fighters who take the fight to the
terrorists, he said.
“As with any military effort, there will be
periods of progress but there are also going to be some setbacks, as
we’ve seen with ISIL’s gains in Ramadi in Iraq and in Central and
Southern Syria,” Obama said.There Has Been Progress
Still there has been progress, he noted, with more than 5,000
airstrikes that have taken out thousands of fighting positions, tanks,
vehicles, bomb factories and training camps.
“We’ve eliminated
thousands of fighters, including senior ISIL commanders,” the president
said. “Over the past year we've seen that, when we have an effective
partner on the ground, ISIL can be pushed back.”ISIL lost the Mosul Dam, Mount Sinjar and Tikrit.
“Altogether, ISIL has lost more than a quarter of the populated areas
that it had seized in Iraq,” he said. “In Syria, ISIL lost at Kobani.
It's recently endured losses across Northern Syria, including the key
city of Tal Abyad, denying ISIL a vital supply route to Raqqa, its base
of operations in Syria.”
The terror group is vulnerable and with help local forces can push back the extremists, Obama said.Intensifying Efforts
“ISIL’s recent losses in both Syria and Iraq prove that ISIL can and
will be defeated,” he said. “Indeed, we're intensifying our efforts
against ISIL’s base in Syria. Our airstrikes will continue to target the
oil and gas facilities that fund so much of their operations.”
The coalition – including many local nations – will continue to go after
ISIL’s leadership and infrastructure in Syria, he said.
“Partnering with other countries, sharing more information,
strengthening laws and border security allows us to work to stem the
flow of foreign fighters to Syria as well as Iraq and to stem,
obviously, the flow of those fighters back into our own countries,” the
president said. “This continues to be a challenge. And working together,
all nations are going to need to do more. But we’re starting to see
some progress.”Ramping Up Training
The
United States is ramping up training and support of local forces, he
said. “As I’ve said before, this aspect of our strategy was moving too
slowly, but the fall of Ramadi has galvanized the Iraqi government,”
Obama said.
In Anbar province, Iraq, more Sunni fighters are
coming forward and they are being supplied. The president told his team
to do more to train and equip anti-ISIL forces in Syria, too.
Again, the president called for a broader political effort in the region.
“Now all this said, our strategy recognizes that no amount of military
force will end the terror that is ISIL unless it’s matched by a broader
effort, political and economic, that addresses the underlying conditions
that have allowed ISIL to gain traction,” he said.
“So as Iraqi
cities and towns are liberated from ISIL, we’re working with Iraq and
the United Nations to help communities rebuild the security, services
and governance that they need, and we continue to support the efforts of
Prime Minister (Haydar) Abadi to forge an inclusive and effective Iraqi
government that unites all the people of Iraq, Shia, Sunni, Kurds and
all minority communities,” the president said.
In Syria, Obama
called for the Syrian people to unite against ISIL and begin the
“political transition to a new government without Bashar al-Assad, a
government that serves all Syrians.”Security Team Members
The national security team met in Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s
conference room. Meeting with Obama and Carter were: Deputy Defense
Secretary Bob Work; Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff; Navy Adm. James Winnefeld, the vice chairman;
Marcel Lettre, the acting undersecretary of defense for intelligence;
Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff; Gen. Joseph Dunford, Commandant
of the Marine Corps; Army Gen. Frank Grass, the chief of the National
Guard Bureau, Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the commander of U.S. Central
Command; Army Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of U.S. Africa
Command; Army Gen. Joe Votel, the commander of U.S. Special Operations
Command; Adm. Michelle Howard, the vice chief of naval operations; Gen.
Larry Spencer, the Air Force vice chief of staff.
Also included
were U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, Deputy
Secretary of State Tony Blinken, CIA Director John Brennan, White House
Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and
Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and
counterterrorism.

Greece's
second bailout aid program has expired and, so far, there is no basis
for negotiations on a new one, German chancellor Angela Merkel told
reporters on arriving for the eurozone leaders' summit in Brussels.

Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke to U.S. President Barack Obama by
telephone on Tuesday shortly before an emergency euro zone summit and
briefed him on Greece's request for a rescue loan, a Greek government
official said.The official said Obama had voiced
strong U.S. hopes for a successful outcome to the negotiations. The
United States has said it wants an early solution to Greece's debt
crisis that keeps Athens in the European currency area.Reuters

Greece’s growing political and economic problems have its small neighbor Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
sensing an opportunity to push hard for joining NATO, a move that has
been stalled for years thanks to Athens’ opposition because of disputes
over FYROM’s name.
Defense Minister Zoran Jolevski told POLITICO
his country would be prepared to apply to join NATO using the ungainly
name “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” which is insisted on by
Greece.
“All NATO member countries recognized that Macedonia had
by that point met the NATO membership criteria,” said Jolevski.
“Unfortunately our southern neighbor added one more criterion to that
summit, the name.”
Greece argued that its northern neighbor should
instead be called New Macedonia or Upper Macedonia, whereupon Macedonia
sued Greece at the International Court of Justice and won in 2011. But
its moment had passed.
The alliance’s formal position is that the
country “has to find a mutually acceptable solution with Greece to the
issue over its name before it can be invited to join NATO.”
But
with Greece in meltdown, Skopje sees a chance to break the stalemate
by announcing that it’s willing to join NATO as FYROM, while pointing
out that its forces have served alongside NATO forces in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.Politico

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Serbian President Tomislav
Nikolic has asked Russia to veto at the United Nations Security Council a
British resolution on Srebrenica
Source: B92, TanjugSaturday, July 4, 2015 | 12:54

(Tanjug, file)

Nikolic made the request in a letter he sent to his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, B92 has been able to confirm on
Saturday.
The British draft has had four versions so far, but Belgrade considers the document unacceptable.

The latest version was described as being "closer" to another resolution submitted to the UN - one drafted by Russia - but Serbian officials said the changes were "merely cosmetic."

Nikolic also sent a letter to all other heads of state of Security
Council member-countries. In it, the president stresses that the
proposed resolution does not contribute to reconciliation, and is
instead putting the blame only on one side.

Nikolic sent the letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well.

The Security Council will most likely debate the British draft on July
7. Serbia has not yet been officially invited to attend this session.

Greeks voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to reject terms of a bailout, risking financial ruin in a show of defiance that could splinter Europe.
With
almost 70% of the votes counted, official figures showed 61 percent of
Greeks rejecting the bailout offer. An official interior ministry
projection confirmed the figure as close to the expected final tally.
The
astonishingly strong victory by the 'No' camp overturned opinion polls
that had predicted an outcome too close to call. It leaves Greece in
uncharted waters: risking financial and political isolation within the
eurozone and a banking collapse if creditors refuse further aid.
But
for millions of Greeks the outcome was an angry message to creditors
that Greece can longer accept repeated rounds of austerity that, in five
years, had left one in four without a job. Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras has denounced the price paid for aid as "blackmail" and a
national "humiliation".
Hundreds of Greeks began pouring into the
central Syntagma square in front of parliament to celebrate, after a
week of building desperation as banks were shut and cash withdrawals
rationed to prevent a collapse of the Greek financial system.
Officials
from the Greek government, which had argued that a 'No' vote would
strengthen its hand to secure a better deal from international creditors
after months of wrangling, immediately said they would try to restart
talks with European partners.
"I believe there is no Greek today
who is not proud, because regardless of what he voted he showed that
this country above all respects democracy," Labour Minister Panos
Skourletis said.
"The government now has a strong mandate, a strong negotiating card, to bring a deal which will open new ways."
But
eurozone officials shot down any prospect of a quick resumption of
talks. One official said there were no plans for an emergency meeting of
eurozone finance ministers on Monday, adding the vote outcome meant the
ministers "would not know what to discuss".
Many of Athens'
partners have warned over the past week that a 'No' vote would mean
cutting bridges with Europe and driving Greece's crippled financial
system into outright bankruptcy, dramatically worsening the country's
economic depression.
The result also delivers a hammer blow to the
European Union's grand single currency project. Intended to be
permanent and unbreakable when it was created 15 years ago, the eurozone
could now be on the point of losing its first member with the risk of
further unravelling to come.
Greek banks, which have been closed
all week and rationing withdrawals from cash machines, are expected to
run out of money within days unless the European Central Bank provides
an emergency lifeline. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is due to meet
top Greek bankers later on Sunday and State Minister Nikos Pappas, one
of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's closest aides, said it was
"absolutely necessary" to restore liquidity to the banking system now
that the vote is over.
However the European Central Bank,
which holds a conference call on Monday morning, may be reluctant to
increase emergency lending to Greek banks after voters rejected the
spending cuts and economic reforms which creditors consider essential to
make Greek public finances viable, central bankers said.
First
indications were that any joint European political response may take a
couple of days. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President
Francois Hollande will meet in Paris on Monday afternoon. The European
Commission, the EU executive, meets in Strasbourg on Tuesday and will
report to the European Parliament on the situation.
"EU leaders
must get together immediately, even on Monday. The situation is too
serious to leave to finance ministers," said Axel Schaefer, a deputy
head of the Social Democrat (SPD) group in the German parliament.
"You
have to have confidence in the ability of the ECB to act. We must use
all the possibilities in the EU budget to help Greece, which is still a
member of the euro and the EU."
A 'No' vote puts Greece and the
eurozone in uncharted waters. Unable to borrow money on capital markets,
Greece has one of the world's highest levels of public debt. The
International Monetary Fund warned last week that it would need massive
debt relief and 50 billion euros in fresh funds.
Greek officials
see the IMF report as a vital support for their argument that the
bailout terms as they stood would merely have driven Greece further into
depression.
Tsipras called the referendum eight days ago after
rejecting the tough terms offered by international creditors as the
price for releasing billions of euros in bailout funds.
He
denounced the bailout terms as an "ultimatum" and his argument that a
'No' vote would allow the government to get a better deal appears to
have convinced many Greeks, particularly among younger voters who have
been ravaged by unemployment levels of nearly 50 percent.
Opinion polls over the months have shown a large majority of Greeks want to remain in the euro.
But,
exhausted and angry after five years of cuts, falling living standards
and rising taxes imposed under successive bailout programs, many appear
to have shrugged off the warnings of disaster, trusting that a deal can
still be reached.
Reuters
Photo source: Yannis Kolesidis/EPA

The
United States is determined to "unilaterally pursue [its national]
interests through extreme violence," Mike Whitney wrote in an opinion
piece on the Pentagon's 2015 National Military Strategy (NMS) in the
left-leaning website Counterpunch.

Whitney
claims the document is surely more subtle in language than its
predecessors but quite precise in its gruesome message. Washington will
try "to maintain its tenuous grip on global power by maximizing the use
of its greatest asset; its military," Whitney observed, adding that
anyone deemed to be a threat to US national interests is viewed as an
adversary.
To borrow the formula from the Washington's anti-Islamic State
playbook, the ultimate goal is to "degrade and destroy" any country that
challenges US global dominance, including those states that pose no
danger to the world or their neighbors.

As for the consequences of such a military
strategy, "readers will not find even a hint of remorse in the NMS
for the vast destruction and loss of life the US caused in countries
that posed not the slightest threat to US national security," Whitney
said.

What is the US vision of the future?
In Whitney's opinion, it is war. He believes the US has no vision
of a bright future and seems to be unable to offer a constructive
agenda.

"Unlike Russia or China which have a plan
for an integrated EU-Asia free trade zone (Silk Road) that will increase
employment, improve vital infrastructure, and raise living standards,
the US sees only death and destruction ahead," Whitney observed.

The
2015 NMS addresses China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Although the
document clearly states that neither country wants to engage in a direct
military conflict with the US or its allies, they all somehow "pose
serious security concerns."
Whitney believes, this is code-speak for the US contemplating a
military engagement, which in the eyes of Washington is justified
because these countries are rich in resources, possess large or
potentially large industrial capacity or happen to occupy a territory
that interests the US geopolitically.
Another reason amounts to nothing less than a heinous offense in the
eyes of Washington: some countries "simply want to maintain their own
sovereign independence which, of course, is a crime," Whitney said.All Washington's eyes are on Russia
The journalist calls Russia "Washington's flavor-of-the-month enemy,"
which must be punished for its audacity to defend its own security
interests.

"Russia is an evildoer because Russia refused
to stand by while the US toppled the Ukrainian government, installed a
US stooge in Kiev, precipitated a civil war between the various
factions, elevated neo Nazis to positions of power in the security
services, plunged the economy into insolvency and ruin, and opened a CIA
headquarters in the Capital to run the whole shooting match," Whitney
said.

The journalist comes to the disturbing conclusion that Washington is considering waging a war on Russia.

"It sounds to me like the Washington honchos
have already made up their minds. Russia is the enemy, therefore, Russia
must be defeated," he noted.

To that end, the 2015 National Military Strategy serves a specific
goal. The document is meant to sell an idea that "whatever the US does
is okay, because it's the US." One can only hope that at least some will
refuse to buy into it.

The Panepirotic Federation of America vehemently condemns the brutal destruction by Albanian authorities on August 26 of a Greek Orthodox Church in the Chimara region of the former Communist nation that once prohibited all forms of religious worship. The Church of St. Athanasius in the town of Drymades, known in Albanian as Dhermi, was completely destroyed by government agents acting on the authority of Albania’s Interior Ministry.

Petitioning European Council

The land in Himara belongs to the people of Himara! Land and property registration NOW! Signe now this petition to the European Councile, for the registration of properties to the only and single eligible owner: the PEOPLE of Himara.

Himara Community of USA, Addresses Himarra Property Issues with US State Department / Ambassador

The Honorable John F. Kerry Secretary of State U.S. Department of State Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to inform you of issues affecting United States citizens who have vested interests in the municipality of Himarra, Albania, and to express our concern about their long outstanding and unresolved problems regarding property rights. Over 1500 US citizens of Himarrioton descent are disenfranchised of their rights to the ownership of their family properties which were confiscated in 1945 by the communist regime. They have been attempting to claim their family properties since the end of the communist period without success due to the laws and policies of the Albanian government which a) fail to address ownership rights of pre-1945 landowners, b) fail to address the rights of owners who were forced to emigrate to the United States for economic or political reasons, and c) fail to address the rights of those with dual citizenship who have attempted to claim their properties as Albanian citizens.

Opinion - Kisha Autoqefale dhe Greqia! (14 tetor 2013)

DEBAT NE OPINION TV KLAN

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Officially: Omonoia, In Albania over 300.000 Greeks declared

30 % or 86,000, are declared electronically and this process includes 85 % of the members of the Greek minority Vlora Prefecture is the mostly populated by Greeks, there are about 90. 000 Greeks. TIRANA - Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority, Omonoia publishes the results of the census of members of the Ethnic Greek Community, organized by it structures. The Prime Census, was the decision of the General Council of the organization as members argued for exclusion of the Greek minority in the months Census October 2011, organized by the Institute of Statistics .

The history of elections of the Albanian dictator, to terrorize the people of Himara

A special Edition by SManalysis December 2, 1945: The Himariotes, abstaining from communist referendum, as happens usually for Himara the Albanian historians, never wrote this tragic history. Nikos Koutoulas, who boldly told the special communist court: "I'm Greek . I do not know Albanian, get me a interpret!" Still now, Albania never hold free politic elections, including Himara Municipality

Albanian Writer Raises Storm in Kosovo

Kosovo officials have rounded on Albanian writer Fatos Lubonja for saying that the political elites in both countries turned a blind eye to the crimes of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. Besar Likmeta BIRN Tirana Albanian writer Fatos Lubonja In the article published in the May edition of the magazine Sudosteuropa, Lubonja focused on the reaction of Albania’s political class to the acquittal of the former KLA commander and Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj by the Hague Tribunal. Lubonja wrote that following Haradinaj’s release, the elite in Pristina and Tirana celebrated him as a hero, despite having enough information that the charges brought by prosecutors in the Hague were correct.

As long as human rights and civil liberties are violated in Himara Region primarily property, Greec

Himara Associations: Athens to block the status of Albania, if Tirana, does not solve the property issue Two associations based in Himara, "The Himara Community" and "Sea Coastal Association" have asked in a statement distributed to the media this afternoon that Greece "should block the candidate status for Albania" if Tirana, will not solve the problems of Human Rights and particularly the issue of the properties in Himara Region. The statement takes into consideration the visit Tirana following day of E.Venizelos the Greek Deputy Prime Minister also heads the Presidency of the European :

Albania minorities object to territorial division

Albania's civil society is calling on officials to diffuse tensions and protect minorities from discrimination and potential violence as a result of the decision to scrap the existing municipalities and create a new territorial administration. The government reduced the 384 local government units to 65, effectively creating entirely Albanian-majority municipalities. Greek, Macedonian and other minority representatives said the government's move violates their rights and international norms.

Poll: Albania, the most racist country in Europe

An international survey data from the World Value Survey collected and processed by the Washington Post reveals that Albania is the most racist country in Europe and worldwide more racists. The survey attempts to make a connection between economic development and being tolerant inside a society with ethnic crashes.. Thus, the most tolerant countries in the world are the Nordic countries, Great Britain and some of its former colonies, the United States, Canada and Australia. Countries with high tolerance are also in Latin America, where Venezuela exception.

Fatos Lobonja: Albania needs formatting not to rebirth

Fatos Lobonja, in an interview for the program "PULS" the KohaVision in Kosovo, there appeared criticism of developments in Albania. According Lubonja Albanians as a society still can not be consolidated. The reasons, according to him, are corrupt Albanian political elites on all sides, inside and abroad. He said they did not thirst for power leaves organize and move forward. Edi Rama's arrival at the head of government, according Lubonja, will not change the image of Albania, because Rama is associated with the oligarchs and organized crime. " He should answer that elite and non-citizens of Albania ", Lobonja estimates.

Nicholas Gage: Athens to give soon the Greek citizenship for thousand north epiriotes

World Council delegation of Epirus Abroad, meeting with the Ministry of Interior for the vote of northern epiriotes and the resolve the pension problem The visit of Nicholas Gage, is considering as the latest diplomatic effort of USA lobbing, for implementation of the "Protocol of Corfu" agreement, between Albania and Greece, based on the ulterior escalation in Balkan region. The Delegation of the World Council of Foreign Relation of Epirus (PSIE) headed by the Honorary President Nicolas Gkatzogianni, had a working meeting with the Greek Interior minister Stylianidis and v/ minister Syrigos.

Himariotes, lobbying in USA, for Autonomy

A group of people of Himara, with American citizenship, are lobbying to the US Congress and the State Department, that the Himara Region, receive the right for autonomy, according to international historical right to his self-determination. Proposed to merge all associations operating in USA, Greece and Albania, to be united in a single purpose: Autonomous Himara, Movements in the Balkans geopolitical, Mitrovica case, cutting pension from Greece, scarce public investment, robbery and illegal registration of property, etc., have raised a great concern, as never in the recent relationship of Himara, Albanian and Greek state relationship.

Pyrros Dimas, meeting with the Greek Minister of Labour, for problem of pensions to the Northern Ep

- Initiative of MP of PASOK, Pyrros Dimas for preparing and drafting a legislative proposal in collaboration with representatives of the Northern Epirus organizations. - The Minister agreed on the need to find a solution and urged the Member to develop concrete proposals, and that after consultation with the Secretary of the New Republic, Manolis Kefaloyiannis will be submitted jointly to the Minister of Finance.

"Kakome Case" again to the Albanian Tribunals

The Greek Community continues to "constant war" with the Albanian government to protect property. The apathy of Athens, to respond to the robbery of the properties in just the time, that OSCE, under the process of the registration of property in Ionian Coast, from European taxpayers, without any trasparence, is favoring according to Albanian law, alienation of property, of the Greek community , with the false documents.

Berisha: albanophobia threatens inter region

Berisha: "We must accept that they are the only people who live in 5 states. A nation that is unjustly divided into 5 states, a nation that wants to look to a common future. But again albanophobia is still in action " Albanian Prime Minister for the second time, threatening Greece, claiming that Albanians in Greece, should join the Albanian state.

NORTHERN EPIRUS THROUGH THE CENTURIES(LECTURE OF VASILIOS KYRANIS, Harvard University -1981) AL

Christos Pappas, in an interview with Arthur Zhei, News 24 TV

Pappas: "Northern Epirus is a region that holds arbitrary from Albania, as recognized by the great powers, the Protocol of Corfu. The Law of War against Albania, can not remove from Papoulias nor Greek parliament, but the Greek army is ready to liberate the Northern Epirus, again

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After a life threatening message to Archbishop Janullatos

42 Orthodox clergy against census and Red & Black Alliance: Janullatos has not afraid of death 42 Tirana archdiocese Orthodox clergy have reacted with a joint statement in defense of Anastasios Yannoulatos. Their attitude comes after strong reactions against the Red & Black Alliance, for Archbishop and after a census that sees Orthodox in third place in terms of religion in the country.

Albania: 100 years, Berisha plays 'great Albania' trump card

In Tirana Albanian leaders, tensions with Macedonia 28 November, 10:49 (ANSAmed) - TIRANA, NOVEMBER 28 - Albania's black and red national flag with a double-headed eagle is waving across the country which is celebrating today its 100th anniversary of independence in a tense political climate. The centre-right Premier Sali Berisha has been calling for days for an ethnic-national unification of all Albanians living in different Balkan states, in efforts to revive a strong nationalism which is rejected by Albania's opposition.

The Official Site of The Himara Community

CONTINUES THE DEBATE IN WASHINGTON D.C. FOR THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM NORTHERN

According to the Greek organisation of Albania estimates there are thousands of Greek American citizens from Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) which is refering the Journalist Lambros Papantoniou, asking the Spokesman of State Department for the rights of American citizens with Greek origin to take their properties in Southern Albania. Papantoniou is refereeing a Memo between Albanian State and USA about the civil rights especially for the properties of American citizens who are interested to take them according to Albanian Constitution and laws the properties of family generation. This is the second debate of the veteran Journalist for Balkan Issues in State Department Lambros Papantoiou who accuses over all the Sali Berisha Regim in Albania supported by the President Bush.

A Response to AFP

SManalysis Orthodox churches of Albania, are Byzantine churches, belong to the property of the population of Epirus.....

Avramopoulos`s speach during NATO meeting

Greece threatens Albania blocking the integration process after Berisha's statements Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, has expressed his concern at the NATO ministerial meeting about rising tide of nationalism in Albania and premature declarations of the government. In a press release the Greek Foreign Ministry said that "the growth of nationalism and populism in some of our neighboring countries is a source of great concern."

The U.S. talk of "change of borders in the Balkans"

Message-warning sent to Albania by the U.S. representative to the State Department, which in a statement said that any change of borders in the Balkans "would be counterproductive and destabilizing," but the issue is that for the first time put the U.S. even and negative mood on any change of borders in the Balkans ...

INUK në Vlorë, pronarët: Me dokumenta të rregullta dhe leje ndërtimi

ENIKOS.GR

GREEK NEWS FROM NIKO`S BLOG

PREMIUM, THE GREEK TRASFORMATION

The "Kissinger Plan": Confederations Macedonia, Epirus, Thrache,

THE BIG CHANGE IN PERIVOLO, DRYMADES, HIMARA REGION

Dhermi, (Drymades, Himara Region) between natural beauty and destruction Look at those videos, before in 2010, everything natural and in 2012 the differences, the big changes how are divided Mafia plots, see whose investments are shown, with the camera of a sportsman parachute, in Long Beach "Perivolo" in Dhrymades, the Himara Region. Look at how this summer 2012, the Concessions of Mafia provided by The Himara Counsil Municipality and the Government of Albania, have become a reality. The Sand Beach Drymades, is transformed in the sidewalks and kiosks. See how they are transformed Dhermi, in a few years, in an administrative center, disrupting also balance the religious and ethnic composition of himariotes.

Robert Elsie: If I would live in Albania, it would be crazy. It is the same as in Ottoman times

After known albanolog Milan Shufla, Robert Elsie is the best conteproranean albanian albanolog in the World During his intereweu on "Top Channely TV, Robert Elsie, on his first interview on TV. expresed his story about Albanian and Albanian state in 100 years. An interesting tale scholar known for his work difficulties in view of the Albanian language. Elsie, who knows Albanians for years, amounts to a chilling conclusion. He says he will not ever live in Albania, as it will go mad. "I can not live here. It's a little wild for me, the relationships between people are a bit wild. I know that is just a facade that inside have good spirit, but have a rabies in human relations. You know how to protect yourself here, and here I am like a rabbit, he can not defend myself. I come here with pleasure, but do not believe they can afford to come and live here forever. There is much frustration of everyday life. Life is too short and I do not have time to bump into obstacles, only to achieve something, when in another country and get away and then live my life, "said Elsie to Albanian. And while Enver Hoxha's Albania as compared with that of Sali Berisha, adds: "There is something that depends only on the party, it's more the attitude of the people. So to get something going, you have to know someone in the Ministry, to drink coffee with, then drink coffee again next week with even a third time, and then he connects with the person that you are interested . That is the same as in Ottoman times, not like a normal country. ".

Separatists gaining ground in Europe

Greece, is going to Plan B: grant for 600 thousand Greek citizenship, at the Consulates

Failure of the Census in Albania, apparently, has forced Athens, put in place, going to Plan B to its foreign policy, grant citizenship to all Hellenic Community of Northern Epirus (Greek passports) through three Greek consulates in Albania. According to “The Albanian newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare”, in a statement issued by the Greek Consul in Argjirokaster, Nikolaos Kotroxois, will begin soon, giving the Greek passports to Albanian citizens of Greek descent, who have applied for years. The decision is taken, after Athens, has used all diplomatic sources to have to Tirana, the same wavelength, particularly in geopolitical matters, particularly Kosovo. In his statement, the Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Dimas, noted, that Tirana, continues to show towards Greece, feeling not sincere cooperation, while simultaneously calling for the right to self-determination of the Greek community in Albania.

BERISHA: GREATER ALBANIA, WE LOST TERRITORIES

he Albanian Prime Minister held a meeting with Prishtina University students, in which he argued why he is against the unification of Albania with Kosovo and why both countries would lose, if borders would be changed. “The vital interest of the Albanians is to preserve the current borders, and the Albanians should not accept, at any cost, to lose a single square meter of the land they are entitled to. Another redraw of the borders would mark undeserved losses of the Albanian territories. We must be patient, free, and should not undertake any action that threatens territorial losses. Every generation has to make its duty, and this generation made it”, Berisha declared.

Dimas:"The Greek ethnic Community in Albania has the right of free of charge self-determination"

The reliability of the results of population census in Albania, in terms of minority groups, directly challenging the foreign minister Stavros Dimas, diaminyontas same time that the Respect for human and minority rights is … crucial criterion for the progress of the accession method of our neighbor. In a letter sent to the Home in response to a question from a Member of LA.OS K. Aivaliotis, Dimas says that “the foreign ministry has closely followed all the developments surrounding the census in Albania, even though produced timely plays, both bilateral and European level to make sure the integrity process and unimpeded registration of members of the Greek National Minority, and each location of residence of such ». As outlined, the “Selection of the representatives of the main minority groups, including the Greek National Minority, invite their members to abstain in protest not guaranteed to respect the right of free of charge self-determination, showed a significant deficit of trust minority in the Albanian state, which ought to itself the Albanian government to address priority ».

The Constitutional Court Decision on December 1, the Latter abolished the term Ethnic certificate of Its Citizens. In the Decision, panels argues why the notion of "nationality" is incompatible with the constitution When Its state charter law does not provid a clear definition of Its meaning. In Assessing the Court, "nationality" as defined concept without, unlike Other components of civil law does not Create a link that 'translates the Mutual rights and duties of Natural Persons and state.

While the total population in Himara Municipality, does not exceed 12 thousand inhabitants, a source from the prosecution of Vlora, shows that the problems of ownership at the squirrels region have reached the 7500 court proceedings and special investigations, which marks a world record, by how a country like Albania, could not manage the right of ownership, in one of the areas attacked by the Albanian mafia and international. However, the U.S. Department Report for 2004 on human rights in Albania, states clearly that in the Himara Municipality, the community lands and the Orthodox Church, was robbed by a Courts with false documents, supported by the Office of Propetry Registration in Albania.

Arben Puto: Albania has declared war against Greece first

In his book "The Italian Greek War", Arben Puto, well known historian of the era of dictatorship in Albania, writes that: "In a unanimous decision of the Albanian Parliament on July 15, 1940, was ratified, the Italian Fascist royal decree, which declared all war allies France and Britain, including the USA and Greece. So need to Albanians, to be aware that Greece was not declared war Albania, but Albania, with military battalions that attacked Greece on 28 October 1940 ".

WB returns to Ionian Riviera residence reconstruction

Another World Bank project is being executed with the help of the Albanian authorities for the reconstruction of the residences in Albania’s southern coastline. The 625.000 USD project aims to protect and promote the values of the Albanian national architecture in the Southern part of the country, in order to prevent destruction and abandonment of the traditional houses. “Shqip” newspapers says that the Ministry of Public Works is the WB partner in the “Roofs and Facades” project. The implementation of the program has started in the villages classified as participators: Dhermi i Vjeter, Qeparo i Vjeter, Ilias, Vuno, Himare e Vjeter, Piqeras, Nivice and Luksht. The World Bank will finance 70% of the restauration cost, with a maximum of 7000 USD, while the program “Accommodation and Breakfast” will finance 50 of the restoration cost, with a maximum of 5,000 USD. The program “Roofs and Facades” aims to restore 72 houses in 18 months. 20 of them will adopt with the conditions of modern life, in the framework of the program “Accommodation and Breakfast”.

In Albania, at 20 years post-dictatorship, 8 thousands murders, for the issue of property

The shocking data, are given by the Prosecutor General, to the Albanian press Shocking facts which, in the wake of Albania rank Civil War, the high level of killings, including the year 1997 Through the Albanian press, Attorney General, has published shocking facts about the increasing number of murders in Albania, especially for issues of ownership. Clic on photo ....

Himara 26 centuries, a history of glorious Independence

HIMARA, THE NEXT MONTE CARLO`S IN EPIRUS

First step to Greater Albania: Kosovo Opens First Highway Section

A 38 kilometre-tranche of the road, which will eventually cross the country from the Albanian to Serbian border, was opened on Saturday. The first section, which runs from Vermica on the Albanian border to close to the town of Suhareka, cost 330 million euro. Senior Kosovo and Albania government officials were present at the inauguration ceremony. In a speech, Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga said that the "highway has the role of linking nations and countries". "It is our link with important European corridors. Our coordinated policy will make us a free and equal members of the European Union," she added. Named the "Ibrahim Rugova Highway", after Kosovo's most famous president, the road connects with Albania's first highway, which was also built by the Turkish-American consortium Bechtel-Enka.

George Goro: Registration of properties on the southern coast of Albania faces difficulties

The process of registration of property in southern coastal areas of Albania is getting quite difficult. Mayor George Himara Goro says it has so far only completed the registration of houses and land but not land. Problems with documentation and the implementation of the Land Law difficult, according to him, residents in this process.

The Monument of Independence of Albania, is in hassle

PDIU Cam Community Party, the Socialist Party's local leader in Vlora, and "Red & Black Alliance", are making a nationalistic competition, the Monument of Independence and the Albanian national flag. Few days ago, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, said the establishment of a new monument to the independence of Albania in Tirana, implying, dismiss the historical tradition of Albanian independence in Vlora.

Himarrioton Society of America

The Himarriotans of America, motivated by the love of Himarra, the land of their native origin, and dedicated to the noblest ideals of their forfathers, have established this organization which aspires to the cultivation and preservation of Himarriotic culture in America, to making a positive difference in the lives of its members, and to promoting the rights and interests of the Himarriotans in Himarra, through the realization of patriotic, charitable, philanthropic, educational and cultural endeavors.

Opinion in Kosovo: "Socialists in Albania, are filo Greek"

The Chairman of the Opposition in Albania, Edi Rama, accused by the press in Kosovo that "he is with filo Greek sentiments" If, Sali Berisha, Albania's current prime minister, is expected both in Macedonia and Kosovo, as president of the Albanian nation, this has not happened with the chairman of the opposition in Albania, Edi Rama. During a recent visit to Kosovo, Edi Rama is unpopular, the fact that the perception of public opinion in Kosovo, is that the south, is the area close to Greece, but especially Rama and the Socialist Party, was accused of holding a position filo Greek, against the interests of Greater Albania.